DAYBREAK: a gripping thriller full of suspense (Titan Trilogy Book 3) by T.J. BREARTON Page A

him.”
    Brendan met her gaze this time. “Neither can he.”
    She laughed softly then grew serious again. “I need you to be honest with me, Brendan.”
    “And I need to be able to trust you.”
    She nodded, biting her lower lip. “I wasn’t aware of this thing with Staryles, just like you. They’ve been keeping me in the dark, telling me it’s for my own protection. Because if Staryles is in with Nonsystem, probably so is Ewon Parnell. That’s the man who . . . the one who held me captive on Staryles’ behalf. He interrogated me while I was under the duress of thallium poisoning, and then he committed suicide when the feds broke into the room.”
    She watched him carefully, and could read in his face that he wasn’t convinced. She played to that for a moment.
    “But,” she said, “the ensuing investigation ran contrary to the information Wyn Weston had found on Parnell. Weston’s investigation suggested that he worked for Titan. Both Parnell and Staryles.”
    Now she seemed to have Brendan’s full attention.
    “For Alexander Heilshorn,” she added. “Weston found that Parnell had been military, special forces, but that after he’d been dishonorably discharged, he’d begun thug-work for different private corporations, private groups.” She looked at him closely.
    Brendan gave a subtle nod of his head. “Yes. Staryles worked for Heilshorn.”
    “Can you prove it?”
    “I can’t.”
    “Did Staryles tell you himself?”
    Brendan leaned back and looked at her coolly. She knew she was dangerously close to losing him, having him clam up. “I’m sorry,” she said. “We have to be sure. Conjecture will get us nowhere. My people are pretty convinced Staryles works for Nonsystem, not Titan.”
    “Maybe Staryles can be anyone he wants to be, look like anything he wants to.”
    “I haven’t ruled that out,” she said in a low voice. It gnawed at her though, despite the way he seemed reasonable, that he was just going to lead her into far-fetched territory after all. They needed to stay concrete. She glanced down at the audio recorder, and then impulsively reached out and shut it off. She met Brendan’s eyes, and caught him deciding whether or not she’d done it for show.
    Brendan looked down at the table for a moment. Then he gazed up at the one-way mirror. There was no one on the other side of it now.
    She hoped.
    “The FBI has been after Nonsystem for a while. Their ways of stealthing bitcoin transactions online is a significant step towards the decentralization of money in our country — in the world. If you look at what’s happened in Greece, who are drowning in debt, it’s possible this kind of Bitcoin virtual currency could solve our financial crises. But Nonsystem would need to come under control, and they’ve been fighting the FBI in a silent battle for months. Years. They pop up, and the FBI pounces. It’s a game of whack-a-mole, and with each hit, groups like Nonsystem get smarter and more sophisticated, and the FBI redoubles its efforts. So the thought is that Nonsystem has a plan to change the game. Put the ball completely in their court and keep it there. That’s the FBI’s position. That’s where Doherty is coming from.”
    “How? What’s Nonsystem’s plan? Or yours?”
    She was silent, considering. She didn’t have an answer, but another question for him.
    “Brendan, what did Staryles say to you?”
    He sighed. He leaned forward to touch his face, rattling the chains. “He told me I had one hour.”
    “One hour.” She raised her eyebrows. “For what?”
    “To decide whether I was with him, or against him. You met him. You know what he’s like.”
    “Yes. He’s a sociopath.”
    Brendan looked away again, wearing a grim expression. Then he abruptly returned his focus to her.
    “Remember Staryles is a chameleon,” he said. “Can become anything he wants. He’s done it for years. It’s who he is.”
    “Maybe you’re right.” She unconsciously reached up and